Resurrection
by LuckyLadybug
Summary: CHAPTER 2 UP! Sequel to Something to Fight For. Mysterious people are stealing deactivated and damaged robots from around the city, including Bass, who was killed by Wily for his rebelliousness. But what do they want with them?
1. Prologue

**Megaman**

**Resurection**

**By LuckyLadybug**

**Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! All hail Capcom!**

Treble watched blankly as the colors of the sunset vanished into the oncoming twilight. First the pink faded, then the lavender, then the orange and red. And then night began to fall, as it had fallen wearily and predictably ever since Treble could remember. But he didn't care what the sky looked like now. He really didn't care about much of anything. For the last several days he had remained in this spot, never moving, lonely for his master and friend, Bass. But Bass was dead, killed by the devious Dr. Wily. Treble remembered the explosion all too well. He had escaped without a scratch, while Bass had wound up sacrificing himself to rescue Megaman!

The wolfdog whined sadly, swishing his tail in the grass. Even when no one else had realized, he had known that Bass was good at heart. If he had wanted, he could have been just as demanding for justice and right as Megaman. Really, Bass had proven he could be that way all through the problems with King. For him to even want to stop the menace at all showed that he had some sense of what was right. And then he had given up his own life for Megaman's, when Wily had tried to destroy them both.

Would Wily remember about Treble and come back for him? The dog growled at the thought. If, by some strange chance Wily did, Treble wouldn't go with him. For what had been done, Treble felt like going as far as to violate the first rule of the robot code---namely, that robots could not attack humans. For what did Treble have to lose now? Wily had killed the only one important to him. Treble might as well do whatever rash thing he wished.

_No, Treble. . . . Don't do something stupid. I don't want anything to happen to you._

The dog's head shot up and he looked around hopefully, as he had everytime that he had heard Bass's voice, but upon seeing no one again, he laid back down in resignation. He had heard Bass several times since the fateful explosion, but it was always just his imagination. He was certain Bass would say the things being said if he were still around, however. Bass wouldn't want him to attack Wily and risk facing the punishment of breaking the first code. And yet, if things were reversed, Treble was certain Bass wouldn't hold back in attacking. He growled low, staring into the blades of grass.

"Treble?"

He recognized the voice. It was Megaman, coming to check on him as he had every night. He would ask Treble if he wanted to come in and the dog would do nothing, just continuing to lay where he was and ponder over the past. Then Megaman would give up with a sigh and go back inside. Tonight was no different. This time Rush was with Megaman, however. The red dog barked at Treble, attempting to get his attention, but Treble wasn't in the mood.

Megaman was determined to try a bit harder this time, though. "Come on, Treble," he coaxed. "If . . . if Bass was here, he wouldn't want you to keep being so sad. He'd tell you that you needed to go ahead with your life." The blue robot bit his lip, knowing that he was asking too much of Treble right now. Bass's death had hurt him just as much as the death of any mortal dog's beloved master would hurt them. He couldn't expect Treble to get over it so easily, but he wished he knew what he could do for the lonely canine unit. Slowly he reached out in an attempt to pet the wolfdog. He knew it perhaps wasn't a good idea, but he wanted to try _something!_

Instantly Treble rose, snapping and growling at Megaman. He wasn't going to let anyone else take Bass's place! Only Bass had been allowed to pet him in the past and Treble wasn't about to let things change now. He didn't want to forget how things had once been. He didn't want to forget Bass's gentle touch or the way sometimes they had just sat for hours doing nothing and yet being completely content. Treble had stood by Bass while the black-and-yellow robot had cursed his fate and his misfortune at not being able to defeat Megaman. He had stood by him as Bass had rebelled against Wily, tired of obeying their insidious creator. And Treble had stood by him as the bombs were set to go off in the castle. But then . . . then he had left. He may have left at Bass's command to search for exits, but he had still left. He hadn't been there to attempt to protect his friend when the castle started coming down. If he had been there to push Bass outside the instant after the red-eyed robot had pushed Megaman out, they might both still be alive.

Megaman drew back with a sad sigh. "I'm sorry," he said, standing up. "It's too soon to expect you to accept me. After all . . . I was Bass's enemy, according to him. And . . . well, if it hadn't been that he rescued me, he probably would've gotten out." Megaman admitted that he blamed himself for what had happened. If only he had been more attentive, more alert! If only he had stopped to defuse some of the other bombs they had found. _So many if onlys. . . ._

Treble growled again, softer this time, and barked. He understood Bass better than anyone else ever had. He knew why his master had done what he had. And Treble didn't blame Megaman for Bass's death. It was just that it truly was too soon for him to be expected to allow anyone else to show affection toward him. It reminded him all the more that Bass wasn't here to do so.

At last Megaman and Rush both left, going back inside Dr. Light's home and leaving Treble outside to ponder again. The wolfdog gazed up at the sky, looking at all the bright constellations as they appeared, and then whined. He pretended sometimes that Bass was here with him, silently watching and musing, but it wasn't the same. In the end, Treble knew he was out here alone. And he hated it.

He remembered something that had happened during one of Bass's battles a while back. They had been fighting against an extraordinarily rough opponent that also possessed a canine unit---a viciously strong one that resembled a pit bull. Treble had wound up injured with the other dog bearing down on top of him, ready to deliver the finishing blow. But Bass had turned his attention away from his own enemy to blast the pit bull away. In the split second it took to do so, the gangster robot was able to pounce upon Bass and hurt him quite badly. Treble had limped over then, baring his teeth and biting down on their opponent's hand before the killing blow could be administered. Bass had been able to get back up and defeat the once-strong robot before then collapsing. Treble recalled how he had laid down beside Bass, licking his cheek gently and being on guard for any further trouble. Bass had petted the dog gently, whispering a thank you for his help, before attempting to get back up. Treble had half-dragged, half-carried Bass back to safety, though he had been hurt himself.

Actually, if it were to be considered that all robots made by the same creator were then "siblings," then Bass and Treble had been brothers as well as a kind master and his loyal dog. Above all, they had been best friends. Bass had been the only friend Treble had had and vice versa. Treble felt so lost and alone without him. Eventually he slipped into a nebulous dream world, filled with strange scenes and people that didn't make sense. He seemed to be wandering through this tangled mess in search of something he knew he wouldn't find. And yet he continued to press on in desperation, something telling him that he couldn't allow himself to stop now, that he had to keep looking. . . .

He started awake abruptly from something unknown. With a low rumble building in his throat, Treble began gazing about the property. There had been a sound in his dream, an odd sound that had caused him to awaken. It must have had its roots here in the real world. So convinced of this was Treble that he got up and started quietly walking around to the side of Dr. Light's house. Then the sound came again. Treble came to attention, looking over in the direction of the laboratory. Someone was attempting to break through the back door into the room where the deactivated and damaged robots were kept. He could see a silhouetted form trying the doorknob. What would anyone want in there? Treble didn't know, but he did know that he would make certain the intruder didn't get in. When Megaman and Protoman had brought Bass's body back, Dr. Light had stored it in the back room, determining that nothing could be done but knowing that Megaman didn't want Wily to get hold of the remains.

"Did you hear something?"

Treble slunk behind a tree, watching as a second shadowy figure appeared. They both looked like robots, but in the dim light Treble wasn't certain. They could be humans wearing armor, for some reason.

"It was your imagination," the first one retorted. "And this door's locked tight. We have to be careful in opening it. If we're not, we'll wake everyone up in the house." He took a small device out of his pocket and placed it against the door, seeming to be listening for something.

"Forget the door," his companion growled. "I have a glass cutter. Let's go through a window and then unlock the door from the inside. The boss gave us orders not to leave without getting those robots."

Now Treble knew what they wanted, but not why. He didn't intend to wait to see if they would talk about the reason behind their actions, however. If they wanted robots for some nefarious purpose, what if they would take Bass? With a vicious growl the wolfdog stepped out from his hiding place, his eyes dark and foreboding.

Both would-be intruders instantly snapped to attention. "It's a dog!" the first one cried indignantly. "I knew it would be stupid of the professor not to have something guarding the place!" In the moonlight he now appeared to be a human, only his right arm and left leg looked robotic in appearance. Treble growled softly, confused at this.

"Well, we'll take care of it easily," the second replied smoothly. He, also, seemed to be a human, save for the control panel that was opening up in his chest. Treble soon recognized the blaster that was emerging and quickly dodged out of the way as it went off.

The first didn't seem pleased at this action. "You idiot!" he roared. "Now Light and his other robots will be alerted for sure! No one could miss the sound of that blast!" He kicked Treble as the dog ran over, sending him back hard against the laboratory wall. Then, deciding that a little more noise wouldn't make much difference now, the thief blasted the door off by transforming his right arm into a cannon.

In all the confusion Treble was never quite sure what was going on. He only knew that he got up again and was attacking both of the men. From the house came the sound of shouting and the flickering of all the lights being turned on. Then the second man blasted Treble away forcefully, the first one following suit. Eventually the dog lay stunned on the floor, drifting into unconsciousness but being aware of faint voices and footsteps running away.

"Hey!" he heard Megaman cry in stunned shock. "What are you doing? Where are you taking those robots?! They don't belong to you!" He only got rude laughter and cursing as a reply and then Treble heard the sounds of blaster cannons going off again. But Megaman had apparently been unsuccessful in his attempt to stop the intruders. A moment later Dr. Light came rushing in, followed closely by Roll and Rush.

"Megaman!" Dr. Light cried. "What's been happening in here?!"

"I don't know!" the blue robot replied in distress. "When I got out, two men were running out, each of them taking two of the robots from this room! And . . . one of them was Bass," he added in a near-whisper.

Treble, too weak to do much else, growled at this news before accepting the darkness.


	2. Enter Cain

The laboratory was dark and foreboding, unlike the friendly appearance of the area where Dr. Thomas Light worked. The scientist who owned this particular lab was, indeed, anything but friendly. No, it wasn't Wily, though that would naturally be the conclusion most would jump to upon hearing what he wanted and why. But this man was virtually unknown throughout the world. No one except those in his private army knew the extent of where his madness would take him. He had once studied under Wily as a possible apprentice, but then had left one night after deciding he wanted to make it on his own. He had bigger goals in mind than simply what Wily wanted, though indeed many of the end results he wanted were the same.

Carefully he bent over the robot he was working on, at last extracting the perfect arm he desired. Yes, this would work wonderfully. The recipient would be most pleased, just as the scientist was now. He moved the arm back and forth, testing the joints and finding everything to be in order. With a sneer he set it aside in a box and went on to examine the next robot.

That was when the door opened and the two thieves who had been at Dr. Light's laboratory ran in. Behind them they dragged their "catch of the day"---four variously damaged and unfinished robots. "We were successful in our mission, Lord Cain," the first one reported with a triumphant smirk. He set the handle of the cart down with a firm _thud._ "I think you'll be most pleased."

Cain made his way over to investigate his lackeys' work. He was always in need of more robots to further his plans. These, he could see from the first glance, would do nicely. But then something else caught his eye and he stepped closer, seeing an odd and unique black-and-yellow helmet poking up from under another robot's arm. Curious as a sudden wild idea came to him, he lifted the red robot on top aside and blinked in disbelief at what he saw before him. "Where did you get this?" he demanded in stunned shock, running a hand down the cold, lifeless, armored body. _So much was damaged, so much was torn away. . . . So very little remained of a robot that had once been strong and proud. . . ._

The second man frowned, having not remembered that they had taken this dilapidated piece of metal from the laboratory. It had caught his attention and interest, certainly, but it was surely too damaged for anyone to repair! In all the confusion, one of them must have grabbed it along with the others. "It was in Thomas Light's laboratory along with the rest, Lord Cain," he reported. "My apologies for it having been brought. You see. . . ."

"Apologies? _Apologies?!_" Cain cried incredulously. "You imbeciles! Don't you even know what robot this is?" He paused. "Or rather, what robot it _was._" His eyes glinted as he bent over the mangled frame. Even the most knowledgeable scientist would have problems knowing how to remedy the damage this creation had suffered, but Cain was certain he could do something with it. And it wouldn't be the something he did with most of the robots that passed beyond the barrier of his laboratory doors. No, not at all! For he knew exactly of this robot and of its origin. And he was completely intrigued as to how it had wound up with Dr. Light.

The two lackeys blinked in surprise. "No," said the first. "I mean, I know I've seen it around somewhere before, but I don't remember now where it was."

Cain lifted the broken body out with a hint of reverence, laying it down on the nearest free slab. "This," he proclaimed, "was Albert Wily's infamous creation, Bass!" Yes, it was instantly identifiable. Almost everyone had seen or at least heard of the powerful robot with the seemingly Egyptian-influenced helmet and the purple markings on his cheeks. The eyes had been red, a fact which Cain doublechecked on by prying one of the lids open. This was definitely Bass. And slowly theories and ideas began to form in Cain's genius mind. Wily always had underestimated his robots. He believed that they would never betray him when time and again, they had. Bass was one of those who had rebelled. And if Cain knew anything about Wily, he wouldn't stand for his own creation starting to turn against him. It didn't account for why Dr. Light had the remains, but it did make perfect sense as to why Bass had been all but destroyed.

Now the first henchman, the smarter of the two, narrowed his eyes in recollection. "Of course," he muttered. "Bass. . . . I should've recognized him . . . it." He gave a slight shudder as he looked at the fiercesome robot's body. Bass had been dangerous, strong, and powerful, from all known accounts by those who had come in contact with him. He couldn't imagine what combination of circumstances could have possibly led up to Bass's destruction, nor could he have comprehended that it had actually been both wickedness and fear (on Wily's part) and a need for justice (on Bass's part; hence, why he had rescued Megaman).

"It doesn't look like that robot's fit to do anything anymore," the second minion objected, seeing how intently their boss was studying every aspect of what remained of Bass.

"Oh, I wouldn't count him out just yet," Cain smirked, examining the severed and burned wires and circuits. Naturally it would take quite a bit of doing, but he was confident that he could make repairs in some way, at least as much as was necessary. His knowledge was, he felt, superior to any other of the leading scientists' and he would see to it that Bass was soon enlisted in his army, once repairs were complete. Of course, Cain didn't plan to be as foolish as Wily had been, in letting Bass have his run of emotions and feelings. In making repairs, Cain would attach a special chip to the base of the robot's neck, making him immune to anything and everything save for Cain's orders. He wasn't about to let any robot of his turn around and betray him. "Soon, Bass," Cain muttered. "Soon you will rise again."

* * *

Megaman gently lifted Treble up onto a soft couch in the back of Dr. Light's laboratory, looking the wolfdog over for any injuries. "He's alright," the blue robot concluded in relief. "I guess he was just stunned." With a sigh he sank down into a nearby chair, surveying the damage around them before looking back to Treble and seeing that he was starting to wake up. _This is going to be so hard on him,_ Megaman thought sadly. _First Bass was killed trying to protect me and now someone's ran off with his body! But why would they? What . . . what use could he be to anyone in the condition he was in?_ But Megaman could find no answers.

He glanced over at Dr. Light, who was walking amongst the debris and attempting to determine which other three robots had been taken. The scientist shook his head, looking up when he felt Megaman's gaze upon him. "This is terrible," he murmured. "The three that were mine were various prototypes of my later creations. Some, I never finished at all, but the other was destroyed in battle, as was Bass." He rested his arm on a nearby cabinet, frowning deeply at this turn of events. He hated that robots he had made were stolen---robots that, like Megaman and Roll now---had been his friends. But the worst loss, he knew, was Bass. There was no telling what treachery would come from that powerful robot being taken.

Treble opened his eyes slowly, focusing on the scene around him. He remembered the last thing he had heard before---that Bass had been one of those taken. The dog growled low, studying the cushions of the couch. He wasn't going to let whoever it was get away with this! There and then he vowed that he would get Bass back. They had no right to steal Treble's friend's body! What if those people were working for Wily? Treble was convinced that if Wily got hold of Bass's remains, he would turn the robot into scrap. But that couldn't happen. As long as the body had been here, Treble had been able to keep the hope that someday technology would be advanced enough that Bass could, indeed, be repaired. He couldn't keep that hope if Wily was now in possession of his friend.

Megaman nodded sadly in agreement with Dr. Light's statement and then looked down at Treble in a melancholy way. "We'll get him back," he tried to assure the dog. "I promise, we will!" He had to believe that it hadn't been Wily's men who had taken Bass away. After all, if Wily had been behind this, why had those other robots been taken as well? Wouldn't Wily only take Bass?

Treble looked at him but didn't even growl this time. But yes, he vowed again, he would get Bass back. Quickly he hopped down from the couch. Rush barked, telling him that he shouldn't try to go after the thieves by himself. Treble was determined to try, however. Bass had always worked by himself, well, save for Treble, of course. Treble didn't need anyone else to go with him. And yet he hesitated for a moment, knowiing he didn't know where to go to look.

Dr. Light watched the two dogs briefly before looking back up at Megaman. "Could you see what the intruders looked like?" he asked. If they could be identified, that would be a start. From there, they might be able to trace them down.

Megaman paused, recalling back to the glimpse he had seen of the two men. "I think they were human," he replied slowly, "except . . . it almost looked like one of them had some robot limbs and the other, some kind of control panel in his chest." He still wondered if it had been his imagination. A human with robot parts? He had never heard of such a thing. Of course he knew about prosthetics, but this wasn't quite the same.

Dr. Light frowned deeply. "That is unique, if that's indeed what you saw," he said slowly, "and I don't doubt it." Treble barked in confirmation, his eyes flashing.

"Do you think we can find them?" Roll asked as she came in from investigating the outside for clues.

"We have to!" Megaman said in determination. "Bass gave his life when he was protecting me. I can't just let someone go running off with his body!" He clenched his fist, looking down at the devoted wolfdog as he started sniffing around the room, hoping to find some clues that the others had missed.

Roll sighed and crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "I just don't understand," she remarked. "Anyone could see that Bass was too damaged to be rebuilt. Why would they take him on purpose if they weren't working for Wily?" She was still surprised at the story Megaman had told her after returning from Wily's castle. At the time she hadn't quite believed it. Bass had actually tried to help his rival and wound up destroyed in the process? It had been a lot for her to comprehend. As Megaman's loyal sister, she had never been that fond of Bass at all, especially his insistance on defeating the blue robot. She had been more inclined to believe that Bass had meant what he had told Megaman after the explosion---that he just hadn't wanted something else to defeat "The Blue Bomber" before he, Bass, could do it. Perhaps he had thought, in his egotistical way, that he would be able to survive the castle crashing down on top of him, since he was supposed to be the strongest robot. But Roll knew that Megaman was convinced of Bass's inner goodness and so she had to think that maybe he was right and Bass had possessed more of a deep soul than had appeared on the surface.

Megaman's eyes widened as a possibility just struck him. "Roll, I think you're on to something!" he cried in triumph. _Why hadn't he considered it before?_

Roll blinked at him in confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about, Megaman?" she asked, not thinking that she had just said anything profound.

"What if they _didn't_ take Bass on purpose?" Megaman suggested excitedly as a scenario began to form in his mind. "What if, in all the confusion, they just grabbed all the robots they could take with them and then ran? They wouldn't have had time to look at Bass and realize that he couldn't be repaired. All they'd be thinking about would be getting away before they were caught."

"I think you're on to something, Megaman!" Dr. Light exclaimed as he came over. "But then once they realized their mistake. . . ." He trailed off with a sigh. There was no telling what they would do then. And who had those people really been? Independent thieves just looking for something they could fix up and perhaps sell for some quick cash? Or were they working for someone other than Wily? If so, who could it be?

"There has to be someone else who would've seen those guys pass by!" Megaman declared then, heading for the door. "We still have to get Bass back, no matter who took him. I'm not going to give up!"

It only took a moment for the others to follow him out.

* * *

Several weeks passed by in this fashion, with Megaman and the others desperately searching for any leads and coming up with possible and good ideas, but finding nothing concrete. Treble was becoming more and more discouraged, but he refused to give up. He had to wonder, though, where Wily was keeping himself. The mad scientist hadn't made a move to cause trouble since he had murdered Bass. And from what Treble knew about the man, he was probably planning something big. Naturally, then, when reports started to trickle in about robots being seen throughout the cities and attacking people, Treble's immediate thought was that Wily was behind it all.

But there was something strange about these robots, as everyone soon realized. They all looked like robots that had been previously deactivated or destroyed. Now it almost seemed that they had been resurected (or else, that someone had crafted these robots strikingly after the originals) to do evils, including violating the first rule of the code. What was more, every one of these robots possessed eyes that glowed completely red, with no trace of any pupils or irises. They seemed like zombies in a way, with no true free will or knowledge of what was even happening. None of them ever spoke as they carried out their deeds.

Megaman was highly disturbed and alarmed by the reports. "I don't understand," he said softly. "Is Wily doing this? Did he get scared because of Bass's rebellion and decided that now he won't ever make robots with the ability to have emotions and feelings?" He petted Rush slowly as they watched the news reports of the latest assault, this time on a governmental building. Several people had been injured, though thankfully there hadn't been fatalities. A local cameraman who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time managed to get a bit of footage of the robot attackers, including several closeups. Megaman shuddered as he looked at these. The robots looked so cruel and cold, and yet . . . they also looked blank, as if they weren't controlling their own actions.

"He doesn't ever seem to learn," Roll remarked as she passed by. "Maybe it's a new enemy. Maybe even. . . ." She trailed off, looking down. _Maybe whoever hired those thieves is behind this. Maybe they still have Bass._ She didn't say this aloud, as she was certain Megaman already had considered the possibility. But nothing made sense. Bass couldn't be restored. Why would someone else have him?

Dr. Light shook his head grimly as the cameraman's footage continued to flash across the screen. "I always feared something like this would happen someday," he remarked, "but I never thought it would happen right after what happened to Bass." _Well, for that matter, he'd never imagined that Bass would be destroyed._ He winced as screams came over the recording before it was cut off abruptly and the focus went back to the news anchor.

"Do you think there's any chance that the person behind it all has Bass?" Megaman finally managed to ask, voicing both his and Roll's thoughts.

Dr. Light closed his eyes tightly. "I don't know," he said finally. "It's possible. But unless the person has some advanced technology that no one else does, I can't see how having Bass will profit him anything." He didn't speak his inner-most worries. _If he does have that kind of technology, Heaven help us all._

* * *

Cain drank his umpteenth cup of coffee, poring over the damaged circuitry of the robot Bass. This had been more complicated than he had even counted on. The damage was extensive, so extremely much so that Cain had wondered several different times over the last few weeks if even he couldn't bring Bass back to life. But then he would try again, succeeding at patching up one fault or another and determining that Wily's robot would become his. Now he was convinced that he almost had it. Just a bit more . . . just a few more repairs . . . and then the installation of the chip. Then it would all be complete.

He set the cup down and put his full attention to what he was doing. A muttered curse came from his lips as he caught his finger on a wire. But soon his finger was free, as well as the faulty wire, and he was hard at work making repairs again. _Bass would be his. And with Cain directing the robot's every move, there would be unbridled chaos in the world. Bass would help him achieve his long-desired goals._

He never noticed the transculent figure that watched him from the dark corner of the room. If he had, he wouldn't have known what to make of it. Or he might not have seen it anyway. What was it? The organization pressing for Robots' Rights would insist it was the soul of the robot Bass, decidedly not pleased at what was being done to his body. But perhaps a better explanation was that the entity was merely a thought, a memory, of something that once was and that would never be again. After a short while it shimmered and faded completely away, leaving Cain to his devious devices.

"I imagine I really should thank you in advance," the man smirked as he firmly adjusted the chip in its proper place. Now he had Bass standing upright on the floor. His armor had been refurbished now and the black-and-yellow robot looked as good as new. When Cain activated him once more, he would be alive, but not the same. The old Bass, the old programming that had made him who he was, had been overridden. All that Cain kept of the old programming were Bass's incredible powers and strength. That was all he would need. "You'll work for me now, and I couldn't have asked for a better servant of darkness. Your powers will enable me to gain exactly what I desire." He heard the final click as the chip attached. With an evil grin he stepped back, a wild gleam in his eyes. "Now, Bass . . . live again," he hissed.

There was a soft _whir_ as the robot came to life. Sensations swept over him as he once again began to hear and feel. But indeed, something was different now. This Bass was not the same one who possessed a hidden demand for justice and not the same Bass who had been devoted to Treble and who had wanted more than anything to defeat Megaman and prove himself the strongest. Slowly the eyes opened, glowing entirely red. There was no emotion here, no feelings beyond the physical. This was only, truly, a machine.


	3. First Battle

Several hours later, Rush, who had gone on patrol that evening to look for anything suspicious, was reporting in to Megaman. The dog barked frantically into the comlink that connected him with Dr. Light's laboratory, wanting Megaman's immediate attention to the problem he was witnessing. This was bad, very bad, and Rush really hadn't expected at all to find what he had. He knew Megaman wouldn't be happy at all, but he needed to know about this. He needed to know so that he could come and correct it before anyone else was hurt!

Megaman started as the barking came over the intercom. "Rush," he realized, hurrying over and turning on the small screen. He was certain he knew what the dog wanted to tell him. Most likely Rush had found some of the wayward robots causing trouble. "Rush! Where are you?" he asked as the screen's image became clear. He could see Rush and he could hear screaming coupled with the sounds of blasters going off, but he wasn't certain of the location. Behind Rush was only darkness.

Rush barked again, sounding desperate. _You have to get down here, Megaman!_ Quickly he ran forward, attempting to show more of the surrounding area on the transmitter.

"Hey," Roll remarked as she came in and saw what was happening, "isn't that the edge of the forest, where the energy plant is?" It was dull at times, being only a housekeeper robot, and Roll sometimes found herself watching the news and taking walks and learning the locations of many different places. She prided herself on helping Megaman any way she could.

Megaman had decided it was the energy plant as well and he smiled at Roll as he hurried out. He never could have guessed what he would encounter. Treble, having the suspicion that he would want to be involved in what was going to happen, followed silently. Perhaps, if he could corner a zombie robot and then follow it, it would lead him to whoever had Bass. But instead of that, he would find something quite different.

* * *

When Megaman arrived at the plant, it was obvious that it was under attack. People were scattered everywhere in various states of injury and panic, the robots standing over them with blasters and swords raised. One robot stayed back from the rest, his dark armor gleaming in the moonlight as he stood on a flat rock directly at the forest's edge, surveying the damage that was being caused. He turned to face Megaman with the same cold eyes as all his apparent cronies, prepared to shoot if he felt it would be necessary.

"Hey!" Megaman cried, looking at the dark silhouette firmly. He was certain that these robots weren't responsible for what they were doing, but that wouldn't make any difference to the authorities. If these robots were caught, they would all be destroyed for the violation of the first rule in the robot code---even if some of them hadn't directly hurt anyone. "Call them off!" the blue robot pleaded, not wanting these hapless robots to be destroyed for what wasn't directly their fault. "Please! All of you will be killed if you're caught!"

He didn't receive so much as a growl in response. Slowly he heard a click as the blaster locked onto its new possible target. The red eyes gleamed emotionlessly as the Egyptian headdress-crested shadow shifted position on the rock, preparing to fire.

Then Megaman had to gasp. He recognized that helmet. . . . Never had he thought he would see its owner alive again. But was this truly Bass . . . or had someone stolen his helmet? The blue robot could only stare in growing horror. Bass hated to be controlled! If this was him . . . he'd been reduced to . . . to the kind of subservient robot he despised the most---only he wasn't able to control himself. "Bass," Megaman managed to voice, "is . . . is this really you?" He had to admit, he'd rather Bass had remained dead instead of being brought back to life as this, if that was what had happened. And he knew Bass would have preferred that himself.

Time seemed to stop as Megaman waited for a response. Then the other robot stepped forward into the light, revealing the familiar black-and-yellow armor and the purple markings under his eyes. But this was definitely not the Bass that Megaman had known. Indeed, his body was merely a vacant pawn in a malicious plan. All his memories and independent programming were erased and lost to the dark. Only with Cain's chip could he function now. And though he himself hadn't injured any of the people (yet), Megaman knew that it would be very bad for Bass if he was caught.

"You've been repaired," Megaman realized softly and in a bit of awe. It hadn't been supposed to be possible. How was Bass standing before him now? And how was it that his former enemy and rival was now a stranger? Megaman felt horror eclipsing him as he saw that this truly was Bass . . . and yet it was not. "But what else happened to you, Bass?" he asked shakily. "Are you . . . are you really someone's cruel slave now?" He didn't want to believe this. Bass's fate couldn't be so treacherous, not after what he had done before to rescue Megaman! And the cobalt robot didn't want to fight Bass again. Not like this. . . .

Bass responded by shooting at Megaman. The blue robot barely managed to get out of the way in time. "No, Bass," he whispered sadly. "You don't want to do this." But Bass didn't know what he was doing. He could only obey the orders Cain was giving him. Cain, watching the events on a screen in his laboratory, was both intrigued and irritated by Megaman's appearance. This boy robot obviously knew Bass from before. But Bass knew him no longer.

"Destroy him," Cain ordered. "He's the enemy. Get rid of our enemies, Bass."

As Bass moved forward, ready to attack again, Rush ran forward, knocking him down from behind. He would have come sooner, only he had been delayed trying to elude one of the other robots. Now the dog growled, pinning Bass harshly to the ground. Then, with one mighty shove, the zombie robot threw the canine unit backwards, causing him to skid across the gravel. Rush cried out in shock, though he wasn't actually hurt.

Megaman narrowed his eyes, looking at Bass with a steely glare. "I don't want to believe it about you, but it looks like you're just the same as every other robot here." His shoulders slumped as his gaze became sad, reflecting his true feelings. "I'll fight you, Bass, but I don't want you to get captured. You'll be destroyed for sure if they think you've hurt these people." What's more, he knew that, in Bass's condition, he very well _could_ attack humans. "If there's any part of the old you that still exists, I wish he'd break free." This was added in almost a whisper.

The only answer he got was another round of blaster fire. Megaman knew it was hopeless to try to break through whatever power was doing this.

"Okay, then," he sighed, powering up his own blaster.

_Go on and attack, Megaman. Don't hold back._

There was Bass talking to him again. Or perhaps Megaman was just thinking of something that Bass was likely to say. He had said similar things during their previous battles. But still, Megaman relaxed slightly and smiled. He would consider that he had the real Bass's blessing. That made him feel a bit better. With that, both robots ran forward, meeting each other with firing weapons. The artillery from their blasters lit up the night sky with the lights and sounds of battle.

It was upon this scene that Treble stumbled. The wolfdog stopped and stared, seeing Bass's emotionless, eerily glowing eyes and cold expression. Treble dug his claws into the ground, his mind racing. Bass had become one of those mindless slaves that Treble had encountered upon first arriving here. This wasn't the master and friend he had known and loved for years. He had feared that something like this might happen after Bass's body had been taken---and he was furious. Bass would be outraged that he had been repaired for this.

For a long time the fight ensued, with Megaman and Bass each battling to the best of their ability. It almost would have been like old times, save for the fact that Megaman could not forget the current circumstances nor that Bass wasn't in control of himself. Of course, Megaman had never really enjoyed their battles at all. He had hated that Bass continued to be obsessed with who was the strongest. Megaman had merely wanted them to be friends. But they fought on, at one point both being blasted back simultaneously when they fired at the same time. Bass was the first to rise and he quickly advanced on Megaman with the cold gaze of a robot assassin, but Megaman swiftly got up as well, firing first. Things continued on in this vein until it seemed that Megaman would once again win. Bass was now on the ground, momentarily stunned from Megaman's latest blast. Megaman swallowed hard, standing over Bass with the blaster pointed at his chest. Bass glared back at him, almost as if daring him to strike again.

But Megaman struggled with his decision. He knew that he needed to deliver the final blow, but on the other hand he wanted to find another way. He had thought he had caught a glimpse of a flickering red chip attached to Bass's neck. Maybe, if he could possibly remove the chip, it would deactivate Bass and Megaman wouldn't have to destroy him in order to stop him.

While he was hesitating, Bass struck out again, blasting Megaman backwards. The black-and-yellow robot immediately got up then, looking around for the sight of any other challengers. When Treble came running toward him, barking wildly, Bass raised his blaster cannon arm, ready to shoot. Megaman, who was getting up with Rush's help, cried out in protest.

"No, Bass!" the blue robot yelled. He could take Bass blasting at him. That was normal, no matter what condition the other robot was in. But Megaman couldn't bear the thought of Bass striking the wolfdog down. Treble was so loyal and good to his master. He didn't deserve to be viciously attacked, though Megaman knew Bass wouldn't do it if he were in control, which he was not.

Of course Bass paid no attention to Megaman's yells. He shot off a round of fire, but at the last minute he moved his arm and shot the blasts at a tree instead, sparing Treble. He looked at the dog standing in front of him, then back at Megaman, and then he teleported out, leaving Megaman and the dogs in stunned confusion. _What had just happened? Why had Bass suddenly decided not to shoot at Treble? _Megaman knew Bass wouldn't have been listening to his words. It had to be something else. What if . . . what if it was just possible . . . slightly possible . . . that the real Bass did still exist?

* * *

Cain glared as Bass teleported back in. "You failed to destroy that blue robot!" he scolded. And yet, he remembered hearing of their legendary battles before. That could have only been Megaman. Bass never had been able to win against him. And suddenly Cain recalled one of the other robots that had been brought along with Bass several weeks before. It had looked almost like a Megaman prototype. If it had even half the power that the real Megaman did, it could be very useful. Cain hadn't done anything with that robot yet, as he had been busy repairing Bass. But he made a mental note to examine it as soon as he could.

Bass looked at Cain vacantly. He was still capable of speaking, but the chip kept him from doing so now. Silently he retracted his blaster, bringing his right hand forth again. Was this merely a vacant shell inside, as would seem only likely? With no independent programming, Bass was a stranger to all who had known him. And yet, why had he refrained from shooting his loyal dog? Was it solely an extreme malfunction? Or was it something else? Did Bass's eyes truly flicker for a split second or was it only the lighting?

Cain turned to look at him, brows knit in confusion. But upon seeing the glowing eyes and submissive expression, the man growled. "You didn't attack that wolf, either," he reprimanded, mulling over that strange mystery in his mind. There wasn't a logical reason for the failure. It obviously hadn't been a misfire. "Maybe I was wrong about your helpfulness. You're not supposed to go soft. I didn't think even Wily's Bass was capable of that." In frustration he reached up, slapping Bass harshly across the face. If Bass cared about this demeaning action, he gave no heed. His eyes remained blank and he didn't even attempt to make a sound.

"Bah!" Cain growled then, turning away. "Never mind. Go off and . . . eradicate something while I tinker with another robot."

* * *

Megaman, meanwhile, was confused as well about everything that had happened. He looked from Treble to Rush and back again. "Bass didn't hurt you," he said softly to Treble as he petted Rush. "I don't understand it! He . . . he was obviously reprogrammed. So . . . so how could he show any restraint? The other robots didn't." He looked over at the robots' remains sadly. He had been forced to fight them all after Bass had left. Now they were destroyed, just as Megaman had feared would be Bass's fate---and still might be. With the problem at the energy plant taken care of (though the victory was bittersweet), Megaman now had time to reflect better on the strange events of the battle he had fought with his old rival. Never once had he really thought that Bass could ever become part of this army of robots that was terrorizing everyone. How had Bass even been able to be repaired? The scientist who had done this would have to be extremely brilliant, yet devious and cunning . . . like Wily.

Treble barked firmly. Bass, the Bass he knew, was still alive. He knew it. If Bass was dead, he wouldn't have suddenly blasted the tree instead. Treble wasn't sure how he would, but he was going to make sure he got Bass free.

Megaman sighed sadly, watching as the last person was loaded into an ambulance. "You wouldn't hurt humans, Bass," he said softly. "No matter how much you hate me, you wouldn't go after people! You wouldn't break the robot code." He clenched his fists tightly in outrage at the situation. "But . . . someone's making your body do it!" He actually didn't know whether Bass had personally attacked any of the people here at the energy plant, but he couldn't imagine the fighter robot just standing by and not doing anything while his "minions" went about wrecking havoc. No, it was likely Bass had delivered much of the damage. And Megaman felt sick about it.

_I told you not to hold back. Why didn't you destroy me?_

The blue robot immediately looked up, staring into the heavens and then around him, wondering where on earth Bass's voice always came from. Was he always imagining it? Or was it possible, conceivable, that somehow he was communicating with the real Bass and that, indeed, he existed somewhere still, in some form? He wanted to believe that. "I . . . I couldn't!" he screamed then, causing both Rush and Treble to look at him questioningly. "I COULDN'T DESTROY YOU!"

_Why not? He who hesitates is lost._

Megaman gritted his teeth. "I want to believe you're still here," he replied. It didn't seem strange, having a conversation with the presence of a robot he had known. Bass had replied to Megaman, as he had done the last time Megaman had idly tried to talk to him. "No one deserves a fate like yours, Bass, being reprogrammed and controlled against their will!" He wanted to ask him about Treble and about who was behind all of this, but Bass interrupted him before he could.

_I'm gone, Megaman. You're talking to a memory. You should have destroyed me._

But that wasn't good enough to discourage the optomistic blue robot. "Are you saying I'm crazy, then?" he asked quietly. "Is this all a malfunction of my mind?"

_What do you think?_ Megaman imagined Bass watching him with one closed eye and crossed arms, looking irritated.

"I think. . . ." Megaman paused, searching for the right words. "I think that I can still save you. You didn't shoot at Treble. At the last minute, you changed your mind and had your laser fire hit that tree. You wouldn't do that, not with your new programming, unless . . . unless whoever did this to you couldn't erase your original programming and memories!"

Bass laughed bitterly. _Ever hear of malfunctioning, Megaman?_

Megaman frowned. "I'm not giving up!" he vowed. "I don't think it was a malfunction. Bass, can you tell me who did this to you and to all these other robots?" This time there was silence. The blue robot clenched his fists, concentrating on hearing an answer that wouldn't come. "WHO WAS IT?!" he cried in desperation. But there was still no reply, leaving Megaman to wonder if the entire conversation had been in his mind. If that had really been Bass he was talking to, why wouldn't Bass tell him who was responsible for this outrage? Maybe it had all only been his imagination, as he had come to decide after the last time Bass had spoken to him in this way.

With a resigned sigh he looked down at the city below him. He had to find out who was doing this before the entire population was injured (or worse) by this cruel plan. And he had to stop the madman from ressurecting robots only to have them do his every bidding. He _was_ going to save Bass. Even if he couldn't get the old Bass back, he could at least deactivate him before he could cause any more trouble. Then Bass could rest in peace.


End file.
